Broomcorn separating device



Nov. 28, 1967 s. LoPEz BROOMCORN SEPARATING DEVICE 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 mm wm ov z z i W Nm W m m UC W w o m Filed June 13, 1966 Nov- 28, 1967 s. LOPEZ 3,355,z17

BROOMCORN SEPARATING DEVICE Filed June 13, 1966 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTOR, SOCORRO LOPEZ United States Patent 3,355,217 BROOMCORN EPARATING DEVICE Socorro Lopez, 2909 E. Latham St., Phoenix, Ariz. 85008 Filed Inne 13, 1966, Ser. No. 557,189 4 Claims. (Cl. 300-18) This invention relates to a broomcorn separating device, and more particularly, to a broomcorn separating device which is adapted to separate undesirable stems from broomcorn.

Heretofore, broomcorn has been manually separated by pressing and laterally moving broomcorn relative to a comb having a plurality of upstanding teeth between which the desirable broomcorn may be disposed leaving the undesirable and large broomcorn separate above the teeth.

Such manual Operations have been slow and labor consuming, as well as tiring and wearing on the hands of the operators of such manual Operations.

Accordingly, it is an object of the present invention to provide a broomcorn separating device which is mechanically powered so as to reciprocate the upstanding teeth of a broomcorn comb laterally of their axes, whereby the desirable broomcorns are readily separated from the undesirable broomcorns, such that the desirable ones are located between the teeth and the undesirable ones are unable to pass between the teeth and whereby the reciprocating frequency of the invention very quickly separates the desirable broomcorn from the undesirable broomcorn.

Another object of the invention is to provide a very simple and efficient means for motorizing a broomcorn comb, such as to cause the comb to reciprocate very rapidly laterally of the axis of the broomcorn teeth of the comb.

Another object of the invention is to provide a novel motor driven mechanism for reciprocating a broomcorn comb.

A further object of the invention is to provide a broomcorn separating device which is very simple and economical of construction, etficient, durable and which will not readily deteriorate or get out of order.

Further objects and advantages of the invention may be apparent from the following specification, appended claims and accompanying drawings, in which:

FIG. 1 is a fragmentary top or plan view of a broomcorn separating device in accordance wtih the present invention;

FIG. 2 is a side elevational view thereof;

FIG. 3 is a sectional view taken from the line 3-3 of FIG. 2;

FIG. 4 is a fragmentary bottom plan view taken from the line 4-4 of FIG. 2;

FIG. 5 is a fragmentary sectional view taken from the line 5- 5 of FIG. 1;

FIG. 6 is a side elevational view of a broomcorn separating device in accordance wtih the present invention, shown on reduced scale and shown mounted on a pedestal and having a foot operated switch in connection with the motor of the device;

FIG. 7 is a diagrammatic illustration showing the operation of separating broomcorn relative to the teeth of the broomcorn comb of the device of the invention; and

FIG. 8 is a perspective view of the cam actuated block, slide plate and motor mount of the invention, showing the slide plate fragmentarily.

As shown in FIG. 6 of the drawings a pedestal 10 carries a horizontal mounting frame 12 on which a frame 14 of the invention is secured by screws 16.

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The frame of the invention is elongated and slidably mounted thereon is a comb carrying slide bar 18. This slide bar 18, as shown in FIG. 5 of the drawings, is recessed in the upper surface of the frame 14 and is slidable in a rectilinear direction relative to the frame 14.

Cross bars 20 and 22 are secured to the frame 14 at the upper side thereof by bolts 24 and 26, respectively. These cross bars 20 and 22 overlie the bar 18 which is slidable thereunder for holding the bar 18 in the recess 28 in the upper side of the frame 14.

The frame 14 is provided with slots 29 and 30 which are elongated longitudinally thereof and upstanding posts 32 and 34 are reciprocally mounted in the slots 29 and 30. These posts 32 and 34 have respective screw threaded nuts 36 and 38 holding respective washers 40 and 42 adjacent to the lower side of the frame 14. These Washers 40 and 42 overlie the opposite edges of the respective .slots 29 and 30 so as to retain the upstanding posts 32 and 34 in substantially Vertical position.

The posts 32 and 34 extend through openings 46 in respective bushngs 48 and 50' carried by the slide bar 18 so that the posts 32 and 34 are reciprocally carried by the slide bar 18 relative to the frame 14, as will hereinafter be described in detail.

A comb cross bar 52 is mounted at its opposite ends on the posts 32 and 34 and carries a plurality of upstanding broomcorn comb teeth 54 which have upwardly diverging end portions 56 spaced apart sufficiently to allow desirable broomcorn to pass downwardly therebetween and to collect between the upstanding teeth 54 during reciprocation of the broomcorn comb assembly, as will be hereinafter described in detail.

The posts 32 and 34 extend substantially above the upper ends of the upwardly diverging portion 56 of the teeth 54, the operation of which will be hereinafter described in detail.

As shown in FIG. 8 of the drawings, the reciprocating bar 18 is provided with an upstanding cam block 58 having a vertical cam slot 60 provided with opposed walls 62 and 64 which are engageable by a cam roller 66 carried eccentrically on a worm wheel 68 mounted on a shaft 70, as shown iln FIG. 3 of the drawings. The worm Wheel 68 is engaged and driven by a worm pinion '72 mounted on a motor armature shaft 74 of an electric motor 76. The block 58 extends through an elongated slot 78 in a plate 80 which is securcd to the bottom of a gear case 82 of the electric motor 76, the plate 80 being provided with openings 84 through which bolts 86 extend. These bolts also extend through the frame 14 in order to hold the electric motor 76 stationary and to permt relative reciprocal movement of the block 58, when driven by the cam roller 66, so as to reciprocate the reciprocating bar 18 and at the same time, reciprocate the upstanding posts 32 and 34 relative to the slots 29 and 30 in the frame 14 and to thereby move the comb assembly, including the bar 52 and the comb teeth 54.

In operation, the operator stands adjacent the pedestal 10 and may engage buttons 11 of a foot operated switch, shown in FIG. 6 of the drawings, and as shown in FIG. 7, may force broomcorn downwardly between the ends 56 of the teeth 54 between the posts 32 and 34. The entire comb assembly is reciprocated back and forth together with the reciprocating bar 18, as indicated by a double ended arrow A in FIG. 6 of the drawings, and thus the broomcorns are separated so as to dispose the desirable broomcorns between the teeth 54 and the narrow spacing between the upper diverging portions 56 of the teeth 54 prevents the large and undesirable broomcorns from entering between the teeth 54.

The electric motor 76 with its armature shaft 74 rotates the worm gear 72 and this in mesh with the worm wheel 68 Operating on the shaft 70 causes movement of the cam roller 66 in an arcuate path eccentrically around the axis of the shaft 70, thereby moving against the opposed walls 62 and 64 of the block 58, causing it to reciprocate back and forth and to reciprocally move the reciprocating bar 18 and the comb assembly back and forth in directious of the double ended arrow A in FIGS. 2 and 6 of the drawings.

It will be understood that the reciprocating frequency of the comb assembly, including the bar 52, posts 32 and 34 and the teeth 54 may be regulated so as to very quickly separate the desirable broomcorns from a bundle of broomcorn and thus save a great amount of labor as compared to the manual method of working the broomcorns laterally relative to the teeth 54 and downwardly therebetween.

It will be obvious to those skilled in the art that various modifications of the present invention may be resorted to in a manner limited only by a just interpretation of the following claims.

I claim:

1. In a broomcorn separating device the combination of: a broomcorn comb assembly having upstanding teeth with their upper ends directed upwardly and slightly spaced apart; a frame on which said broomcorn assembly is reciprocally mounted so as to move the teeth of the assembly laterally of their aXes and of the spaces between them; and a motor coupled to said assembly and adapte'd to reciprocate the assembly in said direction laterally of the axis of said teeth.

Z. The invention, as defined in claim 1, wherein: a frame supports said motor; means driven by said motor for converting rotary motion into reciprocating motion; a reciprocating bar actuated by said means to reciprocate said reciprocating bar relative to said frame; said comb assembly connected to said reciprocating bar.

3. The invention, as defined in claim 2, wherein: the upper surface of said frame is provided with a slotted portion in which said reciprocating bar is mounted; said comb assembly provided with a pair of upstanding posts at opposite ends of said comb assembly; a comb assembly bar connected to said posts and interconnecting the same; lower ends of said posts slidably mounted in said frame and secured to said reciprocating bar.

4. The invention, as defined in claim 3, wherein: cross bars are secured to said frame and overlie said reciprocating bar in said slotted portion in the top of said frame to thereby hold said reciprocating bar in position on said frame.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 3,221 12/1868 Burt 300-18 54,564 5/1866 Parks et al. 300-18 174,881 3/1872 Webb 300-18 GRANVILLE Y. CUSTER, IR., Primary Examner. 

1. IN A BROOMCORN SEPARATING DEVICE THE COMBINATION OF: A BROOMCORN COMB ASSEMBLY HAVING UPSTANDING TEETH WITH THEIR UPPER ENDS DIRECTED UPWARDLY AND SLIGHTLY SPACED APART; A FRAME ON WHICH SAID BROOMCORN ASSEMBLY IS RECIPROCALLY MOUNTED SO AS TO MOVE THE TEETH OF THE ASSEMBLY LATERALLY OF THEIR AXES AND OF THE SPACES BETWEEN THEM; AND A MOTOR COUPLED TO SAID ASSEMBLY AND ADAPTED TO RECIPROCATE THE ASSEMBLY IN SAID DIRECTION LATERALLY OF THE AXIS OF SAID TEETH. 